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Segmentation

Segmentation allows you to target specific customer groups with your campaigns based on data from your connected platforms. Karla integrates with multiple e-commerce and marketing platforms to provide flexible customer targeting.

Overview​

Customer segmentation in Karla enables you to:

  • Target specific audiences based on platform data (tags, lists, segments)
  • Personalize campaigns for different customer groups
  • Improve engagement by showing relevant content
  • Increase conversions through precise targeting
  • Reduce campaign fatigue by avoiding over-messaging

When creating a campaign, you specify a segment field that determines which customers will see your campaign during their post-purchase journey. If nothing is specified, its value will be default.

info

Campaigns under the default segment will be shown to all users who are not included in any other specific segment.

Supported sources​

Karla​

Any segment automatically generated by Karla will have the Karla.segment prefix.

Campaign with Karla Segment
{
  "name": "Loyalty Promotion",
  "segment": "Karla.segment.CUSTOMERS_WITH_DELIVERY_ISSUES",
  ...
}

Klaviyo​

Klaviyo integration uses both lists and segments for customer targeting:

Klaviyo Lists​

Lists are static groups of customers that you manually manage or populate through forms.

Campaign with Klaviyo List
{
  "name": "VIP Customer Promotion",
  "segment": "Klaviyo.list.VIP_CUSTOMERS",
  ...
}

Klaviyo Segments​

Segments are dynamic groups based on customer behavior and properties:

Campaign with Klaviyo Segment
{
  "name": "High Value Customer Upsell",
  "segment": "Klaviyo.segment.HIGH_VALUE_CUSTOMERS",
  ...
}

Shopify​

Shopify segmentation is based on tags that are applied during the purchase process.

Campaign for First-Time Buyers
{
  "name": "Welcome New Customers",
  "segment": "Shopify.tag.first_purchase",
  ...
}

See Creating and using tags in Shopify.

Shopware​

Shopware segmentation supports both customer tags and order tags with more granular control.

Campaign for B2B Customers
{
  "name": "B2B Volume Discount",
  "segment": "Shopware.tag.b2b_customer",
  ...
}

The Shopware extension automatically applies these tags from the order or customer.

See Shopware Tags.

Manual Segments​

You can define your own segments when creating a campaign.

Campaign for All Customers
{
  "name": "Universal Welcome Message",
  "segment": "my-own-segment",
  ...
}
warning

Make sure you do not start your segment with Karla., Klaviyo., Shopify. or Shopware.. Otherwise, the system would consider that segment as coming from one of these sources.

We will always use the <source>.[<category>.]?<name> nomenclature to identify segments coming from external sources.

API Integration​

See the Campaign Entity.

Retrieving campaigns by segment​

GET /v1/shops/{slug}/campaigns?segment=Klaviyo.segment.VIP
curl "https://api.gokarla.io/v1/shops/your-shop/campaigns?segment=Klaviyo.segment.VIP" \
  -u your-username:your-api-key
Response
[
  {
    uuid: "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    name: "VIP Exclusive Offer",
    segment: "Klaviyo.segment.VIP",
    ...
  },
];

Best practices​

Segment naming convention​

Use clear, descriptive segment identifiers in your segment tool or when providing them directly to Karla:

Good segment names
"Klaviyo.list.VIP_CUSTOMERS",
"Shopify.tag.first_purchase",
"Shopware.tag.premium_member",
Avoid generic names
"segment1",
"customers",
"group_a",
Avoid long names
"Segment for all customers with specific functionality DO NOT TOUCH",

Testing segments​

Always test your segments with a small group first:

  1. Create test campaign with limited audience
  2. Verify targeting works as expected
  3. Check display logic on tracking pages
  4. Monitor engagement metrics
  5. Scale to full segment once validated

Performance considerations​

  • Monitor segment performance to optimize targeting
  • Use A/B testing to compare segment effectiveness
  • Regular segment cleanup to remove outdated targeting

Troubleshooting​

Common issues​

Segment not targeting​

Problem: Campaign not showing for expected customers

Solutions:

  1. Verify segment syntax matches platform format
  2. Check customer/order actually has the specified tags
  3. Confirm platform integration is active
  4. Validate campaign status is "active"

Wrong audience targeting​

Problem: Campaign showing to unintended audience

Solutions:

  1. Review segment definition in source platform
  2. Check for conflicting campaign rules
  3. Verify tag application logic in e-commerce platform
  4. Test with specific customer examples

Need help with segmentation? Contact our support team for integration assistance.